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| Welcome to our “What’s New” section. On this page you’ll find all the exciting news about what’s happening at Advocate! We update regularly so visit often! Here's what to look for in this edition of "What's New": o Hours of Operation o Winter Driving o What You Need to Know About Collision Coverage o Auto Reform o Our Community Involvement o The Advocate Advantage - Personal Recovery Coordinator o Let the Advocate Learning Initiative work for you! o Advocate Driving Initiative o Advocate Social Committee | |
| Hours of OperationWe are open Monday to Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Please note: we are closed for all Statutory Holidays- our Christmas/New Years hours are as follows: closed at 1pm on December 23, we are closed for Decemeber 26 and 27, closed at 1pm on December 30 and we are closed for January 2. | |
| Winter DrivingWith winter on the horizon, there are several things to be aware of while on the road. Safety should always be a priority while driving but during the winter we Canadian’s experience winters that equal in severity to anywhere else on the planet. Here are some things to keep in mind this winter: Did you know that the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario recommends a fuel tank never less than half-full? They are not trying to be cute, likening your fuel tank to the proverbial glass because in the event that you are caught in a storm and must pull over it is wise to have enough fuel to be able to occasionally turn on the engine to make sure you are warm. It also adds additional weight to your vehicle which is helpful during stopping and emergency manoeuvres on slick roads. Ensuring your vehicle has sufficient window washer fluid is also important during the winter. As roads become salted and slushy, visibility can be greatly reduced if the windshield is not cleaned properly and often. Carrying an extra jug of washer fluid in your vehicle is never a bad idea. In recent years the importance of having winter tires has been studied and proven time and time again. For a medium sized car, the vehicle can come to a full stop 11 metres sooner with winter tires than with ‘all-season’ tires when there is 5cm of snow on the ground and the temperature is at a chilly -20C. The thread and wear of your tires should also be assessed at the start of every winter to ensure that they will be able to keep you safe in an emergency. Maintaining lots of space between you and the vehicle in front of you will be key in avoiding accidents during the time our roads are covered in snow. This runs counter to our tendency to drive as quickly as possible to every destination. During a snow storm patience is king. Do you have an emergency kit in your vehicle? Most large department stores sell whole kits or you can put one together yourself. It’s a statement of fact to say that these kits save lives. The Ministry of Transportation of Ontario has a section of their website devoted to safe winter driving with tips and advice perfect for both new and seasoned drivers. Stay safe out there this winter! | |
| What You Need to Know About Collision CoverageWhen you decline or remove Collision coverage from your vehicle, the following scenarios are applicable to you. Please be aware of the potential gaps in coverage should you not have Collision coverage. If you are found to have caused an accident, the insurance company will not pay to fix your vehicle. If you are found to have caused an accident and your vehicle needs to be towed and stored away from the scene of the accident, the insurance company will not pay the fees incurred. If your vehicle is the only vehicle in the accident (for example, sliding on ice or hitting a median or pole), the insurance company will not pay to fix your vehicle. If your vehicle is impacted by a Hit & Run accident, the insurance company will not pay to fix your vehicle. If you are hit by a vehicle in the province of Ontario which is insured with an insurance company that does not comply with 'no-fault' rules, the insurance company will not pay to fix your vehicle. | |
| Auto Reform – Effective September 1st, 2010Click on the link provided: http://understandingmyinsurance.ca to read more about the recent Automobile Insurance changes offering more Accident Benefits Options to consumers. | |
| Our Community InvolvementRecently we decided to support a new charity. Bi-weekly we have a dress down day and each staff member donates $2 and those funds are then collected and donated to a charity. The Breakfast Clubs of Canada is dedicated to providing breakfasts to children before school. There are many different reasons why children are not able to eat a nutritional breakfast before starting school but the charity is about so much more than just putting food into empty stomachs. Greater attendance, better test scores and improved student interactions are all noticed by teachers and principals who oversee children that take part in this program. To learn more about this terrific organization visit their website at: http://www.breakfastclubscanada.org/home.aspx With the year coming to a close Advocate continues to make an impact on our community by taking place in a couple of late year fundraisers. For October we took part in collected food for the Waterloo Region Food Bank. We have participated in this event for many years now and it continues to be a great way for us to give to others during the Thanksgiving season. This year we raised 172 pounds of food and without a doubt the boxes will be back at reception the same time next year. Movember was created in 1999 in Australia and became a global Mo-nomenon a few years ago. The event is designed to draw attention to men’s health and encourage men to get a yearly physical. With many countries registering tens of thousands of moustache growers, Canada’s total for this year is already well over two hundred thousand, making us the second most overall! To date this great nation of ours has donated for than any other country and we’re only halfway to the end. As of this writing Canada has raised over $19 million in support of Movember’s cause. Advocate registered a team this year and our final amount fundraised was $6034! We would like to thank everyone who donated to this great event and to our partners, Gore Mutual, for their extremely generous contribution. Remember: With great Mo- comes great responsibility! | |
| Advocate Social CommitteeTo kick off the Christmas season the Advocate team has participated in several events already in December with some tradition mixed with new activities. A tradition that we have here at Advocate is Secret Santa. We play a version of the game a little different than the traditional: pick a gift and exchange with your Secret Santa. Although we do have a pot luck and exchange, we also have the option of leaving our Secret Santa little clues and gifts that will tease them along to their main gift. It's a game that carries on for nearly two weeks leading up to the final exchange. Have you ever had homemade hot chocolate? It's incredible! And our own Mandy Reynolds made a delicious batch for a special Gourmet Hot Chocolate break during which we enjoyed Christmas treats and selected the name of our Secret Santa. On December 9, musical talent was on display and acoustic guitars were playing and carols were sung during a shared lunch from 12:30 to 1:30. The staff gathering together in the training room to spread the joy of the season with favourite Christmas songs. Every Wednesday leading up to the week of Christmas we are showing Christmas movies in the training room over lunch. Classics like 'The Grinch', 'Rudolph', and 'Frosty' fire up our imagination and memories. May you be blessed this holiday and have a wonderful Christmas season! | |
| The Advocate Advantage - Personal Recovery Coordinator (PRC)This year has seen rise to more water claims than in previous years. Water has become the most common cause of loss for the insurance industry, a trend that began over ten years ago. Water damage can happen to anyone at any time and due to the increasing urban populations and aging infrastructure, some plumbing systems simply cease to function properly. Such was the recent case of one of Advocate’s insured’s. She is an elderly woman and is living on her own. One night, her toilet overflowed without warning. With more water she alone could deal with, our insured placed a call to the after-hours claim service and she presented her claim. The adjuster authorized emergency work to get the water cleaned up but there was some damage to the floor surrounding the toilet. The insured discussed settlement options with her adjuster and opted for a cash settlement. She did not fully understand at the time that once her deductible was applied, that she was only entitled to $112. Some time passed and our insured placed a call to our office, her concern was over an increase in her renewal premium and the absence of a contractor provided by the insurance company to take care of her damaged floor. What our insured did not understand was that the $112 was all she was going to receive toward the repair to her floor. Distraught, she turned to Advocate’s Personal Recovery Coordinator for help. PRC knew that had the insured’s consulted with us prior to placing her claim she would have received invaluable advice- once the deductible is applied to the loss, the small amount of damage simply did not warrant a claim that would result in an increase to her premium. Merriam-Webster defines the word ‘advocate,’ when used as a verb, as- “to plead in favour of.” PRC decided to advocate on behalf of this client and was able to get the insurance company to agree to remove the claim from record, which allowed our insured to continue to have the discount that had been removed by the claim. Although in the end our insured had to pay for repairs out of her own pocket, she was very grateful that she had an advocate when it mattered most. | |
| Let The Advocate Learning Initiative Work For You!Advocate is committed to being a learning organization - a company that facilitates the learning of its members and continuously transforms itself. Learning organizations develop as a result of the pressures facing modern organizations and enables them to remain competitive in the business environment. To that end, we have been engaging in a series of internal trainings that have transformed our culture and facilitated the creation of a thriving, connected workforce. From broker training to technical competence to having difficult conversations to leadership skills, our learning experiences have helped develop confidence, competence and creativity for our staff. Our external clients (Waterloo Regional Police, Ampacet Canada, Youth for Christ, Koinonia Christian Fellowship to name a few) are also excited about the training we’ve provided. You, too, can experience the benefits of being a learning organization. Recently we had our senior broker trainer conduct a needs analysis for our team, identifying their specific training needs. A schedule was then created that extends til the end of this year specifically focusing on those requests. At Advocate we are committed to being a “learning environment,” supporting our community and clients with the training they need while serving the needs of our very own team. We are there for THEM when THEY need us most! The Advocate Learning Initiative has a variety of learning experiences available, and we can create a learning package designed to meet the specific needs of your staff. For more information contact Charlene Heaman at 519.650.5565 | |
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